Today I went for a bicycle ride, heading out of the city and first through some narrow streets of a nearby village to the open spaces further out.
It struck me – as it always does – how wonderful it is and also how little effort it sometimes takes to get away from the sounds, the smells and the busyness of the city. Just 20-30 mins cycling took us to a beautifully quiet village, with small, wooden houses, beautifully painted and maintained, and a bit further to a quiet bicycle path with fields on one side and a waterway with reeds and waterlilies on the other.
The sense of space was beautiful and calming. Being able to stare into the distances takes away the sense of constriction. The quiet, accented only with the sounds of birds and the occasional splash from the water, calms the inner chatter.
The picnic lunch I shared with a friend – while observing social-distancing – was a true treat.
The message of this for me is that being in nature is such a wonderful antidote to the pressures and confines we face.